Massage apparatus



' I P. WURTZ ET AL MASSAGE mmnmus Filed May 5, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet Jan.8 1924. 1,480,136 P. WURTZ ET AL MASSAGE APPARATUS Filed May 3, 1922 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 8, 1924. q 1.480.136

4 P. WURTZ ET AL MASSAGE APPARATUS 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Jan.8, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL Wtl'RTZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND ALOIS STEIN'ER, OF HOBOKEN, NEWJERSEY.

MASSAGE APPARATUS.

Application filed May 3, 1922.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PAUL VVI'J'RTZ and Arms STEINER, both citizens ofthe United States, the former residing in New York,

county of New York, and State of New York, and the latter residing atHoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Massage Apparatus, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a massage apparatus and has for its principalobject to provide an apparatus which will mechanically produce a rubbingor kneading action on a body similar to a hand massage.

Another object is to so construct the same that it will be applicable toall parts of the body of the user and will be self-adjustable so as toconform to the contour of the part treated.

Our invention will be fully understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which similar reference characters denote correspondingparts and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus; Fig. 1a cross section on line 1*, 1* of Fig. 1; Fig. 2 a front view thereofwith the tool proper omitted for the sake of clearness; Fig. 3 anenlarged section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 an enlarged cross section on line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a stillmore enlarged inner view of a part of the belt or tool; Fig. 5 is asimilar View as Fig. 5 showing a detail; Fig. 6 is a cross section online 6-6 of Fig. 5 and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of a part of thebelt.

The massage apparatus comprises a. frame or standard 10 which at itslower portion is formed to a casing 10 having a base 10 Projectingforwardly from the upper part of the frame are two or more guide members11 in which is adapted to reciprocate vertically a bar 12 which isadapted to carry the tool proper 13. The bar 12 is counterbalanced by aweight 14 suspended from a cable or rope 15 which is guided over aroller 16 journalled in the casing 10', the other end of the cable orrope 15 being attached at 12 to the lower end of the bar 12, so that thepower for operating the apparatus will be reduced to a minimum. On thebase 10 is mounted a small motor 17 from which motion is imparted to thebar 12 and tool 13 through the medium of a small gear 18 and a largergear Serial N0. 558,049.

19 meshing with one another. The spindle 20 of the larger !gear 19 isrotatively borne in a bracket 21 and carries at its front end a smallpulley 22. From. this pulley motion is transmltted by' belt 23 to alarger pulley 24 mounted on a spindle 25 rotatively borne 1n a sleeve orhollow spindle 26. The hollow spindle 26 is rotatively borne in, abearmg 27 formed in a casing 10". The forward. end of the sleeve 26projects outwardly through the front of said pulley 24 and carries abevel gear 28. The rear end of the spindle 25 carries a hand wheel 29,which is anially displaceable thereon and is provided w1th prongs 29capable of engaging notches 26 in the rear edge of the sleeve 26 topermit the rotation of the latter to operate the bevel gear 28 for thepurpose tobe hereinafter described.

Fixed radially to the front face of the pulley 24 is a hollow arm 30 inwhich is centrally rotatively supported a screw spindle 31, whose axisintersects that of the bevel gear 24. The end of said screw near saidgear 24 projects outwardly from said arm and carries a bevel gear 32adapted to mesh with bevel gear 28. Working on said screw spindle 31 isa nut 33 which is formed with a finger or pin 34 adapted to engage oneend of a vertical rod.65, the opposite end of which is connected to thebar 12. The stroke of the vertical movement of the bar 12 and tool 13can be regulated by the adjustment of the nut 33 on the screw spindle31.. This is accomplished by shifting hand wheel 29 on the spindle 25until it engages the sleeve 26 as aforedescribed and turning the sameand thereby the sleeve 26 and bevel gear 28. The latter meshing withgear 32 causes the rotation of the screw 31 thereby feeding the nutlongitudinally thereon toward or away from the centre of the pulley 24and short ening or enlarging the stroke of the reciprocating bar 12 andtool 13.

The tool 13 proper is made in form of a resilient belt or the like, theends of which are adapted to be joined to form a ring which will conformwith the shape and size of the body or part of the body to be massaged.To this end the belt is composed of individual members or units 35 eachadapted to carry one or more massage balls 36 of metal or other suitablematerial which, when the device is reciprocated vertically will producea rubbing or kneading efiect on the body or part of the body to betreated. In the present example each individual memher or unit is madein form of a Z-shaped body, i. e., a body substantially of rectangularcross section cut away from the centreat one side at its top as at andthe opposite side at the bottom as at 35 (Figs. 5 and 6), and is formedtransversely with vertically superposed and horizontally displacedsockets 37 for the balls 36. Each ball is rotatively supported in itssocket 37 by a ball hearing which may consist of two disks 38, 39 andsmall balls 40 confined between them in annular races ll. The balls 36are adapted to project outwardly from the sockets 37 and to be held fromfallin g out by prongs projecting around the mouth of the socketscapable of being bent inwardly to embrace the outer face of the balls 36(Fig. 6). The z-shaped members or units 35 are adapted to be strungtogether and formed to a ring With theirballs 36 projecting from theinner face thereof, and the opposite horizontal edges 35 of twoadjoining'meinbers riding on one another (Fig. Extending longitudinallythrough each member are two or more (three in the present example)parallel bores 35*, in which are adapted to fit resilient members, suchas spring coils. 43 whereby the members 35 are strung together. Thelatter may be secured in position to said coils by pins 44; passedthrough apertures 35" and adapted to engage said springs. The members orunits of the device which come to. lie at the ends of the latter andwhich are marked 35 are of the same construction as members 35 exceptthat they are provided with suitable locking means to enable the belt tobe folded to and retained in form of a ring. In the present example thelocking means are shown to consist of one or more apertured' tongues 45projecting longitudinally from one end member and apertured eyelets orforked members 46 projecting longitudinally from the opposite end memberand capable of engaging said tongues 45. When the end members arebrought together the tongues 15 engaging the forked members 26 arelocked by pins or screw bolts 47 passed through the apertures thereof.

The number of members 35 to be contained in a belt may vary according tothe thickness of the parts around which the belt is to fit. Preferablythe belt may be constructed in short sections, each composed of acertain number of members 35 and according to the size desired two ormore of such sections may be locked together by the locks 45 46, 47 inthe same manner as the two ends of a single section.

To fasten the ends of the springs 43 to the end members 35, the latterare formed in their bores;,35* with centrally and longitudinallyextending threaded cores as onto which the ends of the coils 43 arethreaded (Fig. 5).

To permit the adjoining members 35 and 35 which slidably engage oneanother as aforesaid, to move easily and with the least possiblefriction while expanding or contracting around the parts treated duringthe vertical reciprocation of the belt, several small balls 49 may berotatively supported in the engaging horizontal faces of the members 35adapted to produce a rolling movement rather than a sliding movement (Figs. 5 and 5 Projecting from each member 35 on the face opposite to thatof the sockets 37, is a. central eyelet or car 50, serving as attachmentmeans for arms whereby the belt is supported on the reciprocating bar12.

The belt is adapted to project in a horizontal position from thereciprocating bar 12 above aplatform 51 erected on the base 10 of thestandard or casing 10 and on which the patient is supposed to stand orsit during treatment. For such support we employ preferably two pairs ofcircularly curved freely movable arms 52, pivotally connected as at Setto a head piece 55 which is suitably fastened to the bar 12 so as to beadjustable vertically, so for instance, by clamping bolts 56. The twopairs of arms are superposed on the bolt 54: and lie horizontally, thearms of each pair extending in opposite directions and their free endsbeing provided with perforations or formed to eyelets to be joined tothe eyelets 50 of the member 35' of the belt 13, (Fig. l). The arms ofone pair, as the arms 53, are somewhat longer than those of the otherpair and are adapted to engage the members 35 of the belt located in thefront half of the ring or in front of the centre thereof, while theshorter arms are designed for the members on the rear half of the ing.The engaging ends of the longer sections may be formed by curvedextensions 53 pivoted at 53 to the body portion of said arms (Fig. l).

For a patient standing on the platform 51 suitable grasps may beprovided whereby he may support himself during treatment. Such graspsmay consist of rings, or the like, 57 adjustably suspended in a suitablemanner from frame 59 having a horizontal bar 58 and fixed to andextending from the standard 10 at an elevation from the platform 10 Inuse the patient mounts the platform 51 and when his treatment is instanding position he may support himself by the grasps 57. The belteither com-posed of one ormoresections to suit the part of his body tobe treated is then adjusted to the required :eight and put around him,so that the balls 36 will snugly engage his body or limb as the case maybe. Thereupon the stroke of the bar 12 is adjusted by the manipulationof the hand wheel 29 in the aforedescribed manner and the motor started.While the bar 12 reciprocates vertically the belt too will reciprocatecausing the massage balls 36 to exert a kneading action on the treatedpart, the members 35 of the belt expanding or contracting relative toone another conforming with the surface of the part treated.

It is obvious that the apparatus may be modified in various ways withoutdeparting from the principle of our invention and we, therefore, do notWish to restrict ourselves to the details shown and described.

IVhat we claim is 1. A massage apparatus comprising a reciprocatingmember and an expansible belt carried by said member and composed ofindividual members formed with sockets, massage balls rotativelysupported in and projecting from said sockets, resilient meansconnecting said members together and means for detachably joining theend members of said belt in the form of a ring.

2. In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composed ofindividual members resiliently joined together and formed with sockets,massage tools borne in said sockets, and means for locking the endmembers to form a ring.

3. In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composed ofindividual rigid members formed with sockets in one face, massage ballsrotatively borne in said sockets and means for holding said balls insaid sockets.

4:. In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composed ofindividual rigid members each in form of a Z-shaped body having socketsin one face, massage tools borne in said sockets, said members beingadapted to movably engage one another and resilient means for connectingsaid members together.

In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composed ofindividual rigid members each in form of a Z-shaped body having socketsin one face, massage tools borne in said sockets and spring coils onwhich said members are strung.

6. In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composed ofindividual members and end members, all said members being formed withsockets, massage tools borne in said sockets, said members beinglongitudinally channelled, spring coils fitting in said channels and onwhich said members are strung, means for holding said members in spacedposition on said springs and locking means on said end members tojointhe latter together to form a ring.

In a massage apparatus, a flexible and expansible belt composedofindividual members and end members, massage tools carried by saidmembers, said members being formed with longitudinal bores, spring coilsfittingin said bores and connecting said members together, means forholding said members spaced relative to one another on said coils, meansin said end members to fasten the ends of said coils and locking meanson said end members to join the latter to form a ring.

8. In a massage apparatus, a driven vertically reciprocating member, anexpansible massage device and superposed sets of independently movablehorizontal arms pivotally connected to said member the arms of one setbeing adapted to be detachably connected to the front and those of theother set to the rear said device to support the same in a horizontalplane.

9. In a massage apparatus, a'reciprocating massage device and drivingmeans, including a driven pulley, an independently operable bevel gearco-axial with said pulley, a rotary screw spindle radially supported 011said pulley, a bevel gear carried by said spindle and adapted to meshwith said first named pulley, a nut working on said spindle and formedwith a crank pin, a connecting rod between said pin and said device andmeans for operating said first named bevel gear to cause an adjustmentof said nut along said spindle to change the reciprocation stroke ofsaid device.

10. In a massage device, the combination with a standard and a source ofpower, of a counterbalanced Vertical bar movably supported on saidstandard, means for imp-arting reciprocating motion to said bar fromsaid source of power, a massage device, two superposed sets ofindependently movable horizontal arms pivotally connected to said barand of which one set of arms are detachably connected to the front andthe other set to the rear of said device to hold the latter in ahorizontal plane, said device. being in form of an expansible ringadapted to be applied around the bodyof the patient.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence oftWOWltIlGSSBS.

PAUL W 1 RTZ.

ALOIS STEINER. Witnesses:

MAX D. ORDMANN, JOSEPH T. MOMAHON. i

